


I nearly Choke

by gaymerkree



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Hanahaki Disease, I, cw: blood, that's it that's the plot?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:00:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26388319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaymerkree/pseuds/gaymerkree
Summary: Superstition did much to color one's opinion in the face of actuality, change it into something ghastly and horrifying, a monster that goes bump in the night, or a creature that slithers under your bed in the darkness.
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda
Comments: 13
Kudos: 163





	I nearly Choke

**Author's Note:**

> first swing at hanahaki let me know what you think!

_ Then, what happens is iconic _ _  
_ _ She takes a sip, I bite my lip _ _  
_ _ She tells a joke, I nearly choke _ _  
_ _ She braids my hair, I sit there _ _  
_ _ Blacking out for the first time _

Little Miss Perfect \- by Joriah Kwame performed by Taylor Louderman

There had been stories, tales often told to scare children, frighten them of indecision, and true love. Superstition did much to color one's opinion in the face of actuality, change it into something ghastly and horrifying, a monster that goes bump in the night, or a creature that slithers under your bed in the darkness. Amity Blight was no coward. Sure she had some… Misgivings in the past, but she prided herself on being confident, a force to be reckoned with. However, that didn’t seem to be the case when it came to a certain human whose name was becoming more and more well known across Bonesburrow. The aforementioned superstition and said human had only one thing in common, the effects they had on the previously mentioned Blight child. 

It had been sudden to say the least, or had at least  _ felt  _ sudden. The first seed may have been before, at the Covention when earnest brown eyes talked about magic with such whimsey. The way Luz said she’d been working so hard, the oddity of her magic, but the pride that showed in those beautiful auburn browns. Maybe Amity’s heart skittered to a stop, her breath caught in her chest, as the paper crumbled into the purest light spell she’d ever seen. The true force of everything didn’t hit till after  _ The Grom Incident _ . Everything had been  _ good _ ,  _ great even _ . Maybe she didn’t confess, but Luz was her date! They’d danced and even defeated Grom! 

Days after, while cradling the tiara in her room alone, a familiar itch crawled up the youngest Blight’s throat. Just a small coughing fit, an uncomfortable shift that water barely sedated. A few more days later, another fit that leaves her breathless, this time at her locker after Luz told her a funny story. The human wraps her arms around Amity, patting lightly at her back, and when the golden eyed girl realizes another fit rushes through her, sending her sprinting away and into the closest bathroom. When she is finally able to breath again she finds a rose petal under her tongue and feels her blood run cold. 

* * *

_ Hanahaki Disease: _ _  
_ _ The Hanahaki Disease is an illness born from unrequited love, where the patient’s throat will fill up with flowers, they will then proceed to throw, and cough up the petals, (sometimes even the flowers). One of the only ways for the disease to ‘disappear’ is if said person returns the feeling. _

She re-reads the definition a few times before slumping against her desk. The illness was rare, something that only occured in a select few cases, witchlings around her age, who either got the courage to confess or… didn’t. She didn’t look too far into those cases, but fear settled into her gut, cold and bitter. With a thunk she lets her head hit her desk as she shutters out a worried breath. Thoughts of the cheerful human flutter to the surface, sending a sharp pain through her throat as her heart beats in double time. Another coughing fit has her doubled over, catching rose petals in her hands. 

There’s a polite knock at her door, and when she doesn’t answer, still coughing, Emira and Edric let themselves in. When her coughing subsides either twin is at a shoulder, arms around her as she catches her breath. 

“You okay there mittens?” Edric coos, half joking through the worry in his tone. 

“You had us worried there for a second.” Emira chimes in, passing Ed a worried look of her own. 

It’s Edric that notices the flower petals in clenched hands. There’s a playful look on his face before he connects the dots and pulls away from his sisters. “Mittens?”

Emira isn’t far behind with her own realization, “Amity?” Hearing her name, her  _ real _ name, said by hre sister with so much worry hit’s Amity hard in the chest, if she wasn’t already gasping for breath she might have acted more surprised. 

* * *

Both siblings respond rather cavalier to the whole thing, cheering lightly about their baby sister’s first love. “Who is it?” They ask together, giving Amity wide smiles.

“Not Boscha?” Edric says with a laugh, looking from Emira to Amity, and back. The idea was odd, but Amity did have only a select few friends, or former friends.

“No!” Emira replies with a laugh, “Right?” She asks when no answer comes.

“Willow?” Ed says with a hum, hand on his chin as he leans back in Amity’s desk chair. 

Emira pushes the char flat with a chastising look, “Bit late for that one.”

“Hmmm...” The hum in tandem, mirrored expressions of confusion gracing their identical faces.  _ “Oh. _ ” The twins lock eyes as the realization dawns on them at once. “It’s Luz  _ isn’t it _ ?” The way they say it, so sure and full of humor makes Amity flush.

Another fit of coughing threatens to crawl up, but Amity clears her throat and holds it at bay. “You two are acting stunningly cavalier about this whole thing.” She says with a scoff, still recovering from her previous coughing spell. 

“Well yeah.” Edric stands with the statement, stretching before moving to stand next to Emira.

“All you have to do is confess right?” Emira continues, settling herself on Amity’s bed with a light plop. 

The youngest Blight stands stone still. Were they kidding? “She has to love me back!” She almost shrieks, fear coiling low in her gut. The twins share a confused look before smiling.

“Just tell her Mittens.” They say with a laugh, patting her on the shoulder lightly before moving towards her bedroom door. 

“Don’t pine too much before telling her, it sounds pretty bad.” Her older sister says with a gentle smile before making her leave. 

* * *

A week later finds the youngest Blight alone at lunch. The blissful silence doesn’t last long, and is torn away with the dramatic flop of one Luz Noceda as she dramatically leans against Amity and  _ sighs _ . “ _ Amity _ -” She swoons, a hand against her forehead in faux dramatics. “You would leave me at my most fragile time-” Another exaggerated sigh as she forces more of her weight on the other girl. “-after  _ potions _ class!” The itch is intense, and Amity feels it prick like thorns as she sucks in a calming breath.

“You’re hardly fragile Luz.” The fondness in her tone doesn’t escape her own ears, and she almost recoils. When had she become so infatuated with this dorky human? The Covention aside, there were so many instances for her to dislike the clumsy yet cheerful human. Instead each instance had pulled her further and further into what she had to face was  _ love _ . Bile rises in her throat as Luz makes another joke, smiling that simple charming smile that makes her heart stutter and stop. Willow and Gus take their seats across from them, smiling at Luz’s antics before that overwhelming feeling of affection rises again.

When the coughing bout roars to life she takes her lead, stuttering an excuse about something in the food or allergies. Luz looks concerned but nods and wishes her well. It’s Willow who follows her out of the cafeteria, looking only slightly worried, but for what reason, Amity couldn’t tell.

“You’ve never been a bad liar Amity, why start now?” Her voice is bitter, lost in the past, but hyperfocusing on her former best friend. 

Amity recovers from her coughing, but something dribbles down her chin as she heaves heavy breaths. “What makes you think I’m-” Another cough forces a torrent of bright red rose petals from between her lips. 

Willow’s mouth drops open as she takes a step back. There was no lying through this now. Of anyone, Willow was the worst person to see her in this condition. The plant track’s top student would know exactly what was going on, and she sees the realization in her eyes. “Amity… Is that blood?” Golden eyes flicker down to her palm, still holding the clump of petals, stuck together with what she could confirm was likely blood. “How long has the been-”

“It-it’s fine, I’m fine.” She stutters through the last vestiges of her cough. “I have this under control.”

“You clearly do not. Amity do you know how bad this is?” Willow’s voice waivers as she takes a step forward. “You need to tell her-”

“Who!? Don’t act like you know anything about me or what I feel!” Tears burn her eyes, and Amity loses Willow in a flood of them. “Love isn’t- Blights-”

“None of that matters Amity.” There’s nothing stern in the shorter witch’s tone, the way she nearly coddles the abomination track’s star pupil sends a fresh wave of anxiety through Amity. “You love her, and you need to tell her or-”

“Telling her is worse than… if she rejects-”

“Give her that chance!” It’s a snap, the most aggressive the green thumb ever gets. Willow looks angry, something bigger than the fear still present in her eyes. “You have to tell her Amity…”

* * *

It’s another week before anyone says anything about her coughing, but it’s Luz, and she’s got Amity cornered in a vacant hallway. The green haired girl can feel her face flush with the proximity, the itch her her airway makes itself known, pinpricks of thorns that  _ scrape _ . She’s gotten used to the pain, a mild inconvenience compared to the uncontrollable coughing that comes after. 

“What’s wrong Amity?” Luz repeats, compassion flooding those beautiful brown eyes. “Ed and Em have been worried, and Willow and Gus too.” The betrayal of her siblings hits like a rock in her chest, but Luz continues, “Everyone wants me to come talk to you, except you.” There’s pain in her voice, faint below her general worry, but Amity has been watching her long enough to see it clearly on her face. “I figured you’d come talk to me eventually, but every day you look like you’re in more and more pain.” Her voice breaks as she says it, sounding more like a whimper than actual words. “What’s happening? Can I do anything to help?” There’s something so _raw_ in the way she says those words, like losing Amity would be some great loss. _Would it be?_ _Don’t I just cause more trouble for her? Look at her, if it weren’t for me she’d be smiling right now-_

A roar of a cough had Amity doubled over. She expects Luz to move away like any sane person, but the beautiful, charming,  _ kind _ girl catches her, wraps her in a tight embrace as Amity coughs and coughs, and  _ coughs _ . Choking gasps try to suck in as much air as possible, trying to breath through blood and full flowers that bubble up. “Amity!  _ Shit _ \- Amity what’s happening- Willow! Eda!!” No one comes with her cries, and Amity can see her tears flowing freely now, fear and anxiety present in her shaking hands as she tries to hold Amity’s face close to hers. The action sends another rose out of Amity’s mouth, stem and all as it cuts up her throat and the back of her lips. Luz chokes out a sob, pressing a wet kiss to Amity’s brow with a sniffle. “ _ Please someone  _ **_help_ ** .” She whimpers into Amity’s hair line.

Weak hands palm at Luz’s elbows and the human pulls back. Golden eyes, dull from lack of oxygen still twinkle for her, as Amity’s dry and abused mouth opens and closes. Blood paints pale lips red and the rose petals around them should imply something more romantic, but it’s much more tragic than that. Fear is like a noose around the latina’s neck as she watches her  _ friend _ suffer. Amity looks like she’s hanging on by a thread, and as a last ditch effort Luz lurches forward, messily pressing a kiss to her friend’s lips. “Please don’t leave me Amity! I-I didn’t even get to tell you how I feel yet!”  _ What? Feel? _

Amity gasps, some of the thorns parting enough to get some oxygen through. “H-How-”

Another clumsy messy kiss presses to her lips, but Luz pulls back quickly, “Just breathe! Please!”

Thought spiral, but as they sink in the illness seems to recede enough for Luz to  _ scoop _ her up and run for the owl house. When she arrives Amity is nearly asleep, but still  _ alive _ and  _ breathing _ . Eda takes one look at her before pulling Luz away, and leaving Hooty and King to care for her injured friend. 

“Listen kid, I don’t know if this is something you humans have, but your friend is really sick.” With even  _ Eda _ concerned Luz feels more panic flood her limbs, making her clench and unclench her fists.

“So what do we do!? There has to be something! We can’t just-Just let her-” She chokes back a sob, puffing out her chest, “I won’t let her!”

“It’s not really up to you kiddo.” The statement deflates her ego, bringing another bout of tears. “What she’s got is all about her, she’s gotta admit something to someone, and that person has to feel the same way.” Eda rubs the back of her neck nervously, uncomfortable with the conversation, “You should go talk to her, hear it from her.”

Numbly, Luz makes her way back to Amity’s side. When she arrives she can see the huffing ragged breaths of the other girl and constricts her chest like a rope. She still looks like she’s sleeping, so Luz sits beside her silently, pulling a pale hand into her lap. The room is silent, Hooty goes back to his watch and King and Eda move upstairs to give the girls their time. Luz toys idly with Amity’s fingers, tracing the faint chipping of her nailpolish as she does so.

“I thought you were just mean at first.” Luz says at first, soft with her tone, “Then at the Covention, I really thought you wanted me dead, but you ended our oath, gave me a chance. That’s when I decided I wanted to be friends, I figured you couldn’t be  _ so  _ bad.” Amity’s eyes open slowly, watching Luz continue her story. “The library was surprising though, seeing you with kids. You were so kind, so soft… I liked seeing you like that... “ The fond smile on Luz’s lips makes Amity flush. She holds her breath to avoid another coughing fit, listening as intently as possible. “Becoming friends with you was like a dream come true,” This time Luz turns to look right into Amity’s eyes, “But that’s not all-”

“W-wait-” It’s a rasp, spoken lightly along fragile muscles. “I have to-”

“Rest!”

“ _ No _ .” Amity’s hand holds tightly to the tan hands around hers. “Luz I-” A deep breath, she reaches slowly for her water that Luz hands her easily. After a deep gulp, she continues. “Have you heard of Hanahaki Disease?” When Luz shakes her head no, Amity continues. “It’s like this seed, it grows in your throat, and it gets worse, as the source gets worse.”

“The source?” Luz cocks her head to the side confused, looking every bit like a puppy, and it makes Amity’s heart swell in her chest. 

“When… when you love-like someone a lot, it can happen, it’s really rare, but it-”

“So… It’s like a one sided love illness?” It was painful how smart the girl could be when she really wanted to be. “So you love someone, and they don’t love you back? So you have to deal with this pain? How unfair is that!?” She tries to stand, but Amity pulls her back down.

“Not quite.” Another gasping breath, and Luz looks guilty for her outburst. “The person might love me back, but I have to tell them, and they need to tell me, or it just gets worse-”

“That’s easy then!” Luz looks nervous, fidgeting next to Amity, “Who-who wouldn’t  _ love you _ Amity?”

“You’d be surprised.” Luz laughs, but it tapers off when she sees the tears in Amity’s eyes.

“Who… who do you love?”

“They’re very smart, when they want to be. Kind, probably the kindest person I’ve ever met, and  _ she’s _ becoming an amazing witch.” The words sound less difficult, like the foliage in her throat is giving her one last chance to make her leap of faith. “She’s incredible.” Slowly Luz looks up, locking eyes with Amity as she makes her final confession. “I love  _ you _ , Luz Noceda. To the ends of time,  _ I love you _ .”

She almost doesn’t finish her confession as Luz presses their lips together again, desperate, clinging, but  _ resolute _ . “I love you! Amity I love you too!!” She’s crying and Amity can feel her own tears brim at her eyes. Another cough racks her throat spilling out slowly withering rose petals. Concerned, Luz nearly whimpers, “What does that mean?”

“That means the seed is dying, good job kid.” Both girls turn to see Eda standing with King on the stairs. “We’ll leave you be, but she’s going to need to cough the rest of that up so-” She gestures vaguely and makes her way back upstairs.

Amity smiles shyly, holding Luz’s hand close to her chest. “I didn’t think-”

“I meant what I said, Amity. Who wouldn’t love you?”

“I didn’t dare hope-”

“You should always hope! Hope is like magic!”

And Amity believes it, believes in the magic of hope, the soft warmth of hope that burrows into her chest and  _ warms _ . Most of all she believes in Luz, in the magic she ignites in Amity, like a wildfire of emotions, scary and exciting all at once. 

**Author's Note:**

> If you like my stuff please leave a comment, feel free to follow me on twitter/tumblr/insta/ect @gaymerkree
> 
> and if you wanna chat some you can join my TOH server on Discord https://discord.gg/vQgMhv


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